Sunday, November 27, 2011

Rebekah is a beautiful mother to adorable twin sons, Quint & Griffin. A Stella & Dot stylist (you may remember her from our recent giveaway)! She's sharing her favorite butternut squash soup recipe with us today! You can find more of her super scrumptious recipes on her blog, which you can see HERE!

Make sure to follow her on

twitter & instagram

if you don't already!

@rebekahcb

Travel, for me, is really just an excuse to eat. Whenever we’re headed to a new locale, my husband spends a lot of time researching where the best places are—not necessarily the most popular, but instead the most interesting spots with great cocktails and unusual, local ingredients on the menu. His finds never disappoint me except insofar that he often finds a restaurant so incredible that my heart actually hurts as each bite makes me painfully aware that I won’t be able to eat (insert amazing dish here) at home.

In the fall of 2007 we went to New Orleans for the first time. If you’ve been to NOLA, then you know you can’t throw a stone without hitting an incredible eatery (or a Big Ass Beer stand!). One of the first nights we were there, we headed to Café Adelaide in the Loew’s Hotel for drinks and ended up staying for dinner. We were lured in by the butternut squash soup we saw delivered to a neighboring table. It looked so velvety, so golden, that we couldn’t leave without trying it…and once we did, we literally wanted to lick our bowls clean. Instead of the cloyingly sweet, dessertish flavor I’d come to associate with squash soups, this one was light and savory with just a touch of indescribable sweetness (we ended up grilling our waitress until she revealed the chef used honeycomb to sweeten it!). The soup was so amazing, we actually ended up going to Café Adelaide a second night, and the memory of it stayed with us for months afterwards. All one of us needed to say was, “Uhhhhhh…butternut soup…,” and we’d both stare off into space, drool making a path down our chins.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I took to the kitchen in an attempt to recreate THE SOUP. I tracked down some honeycomb from a local Amish stand. I picked the loveliest butternut out of the bunch we’d gotten from our farm share and lovingly roasted it. I carefully caramelized onions, added stock, seasoned, tasted, then seasoned again. My first attempt was close, but not quite right. But I persevered and now, four years later, I think I’ve finally gotten it right (or pretty darn close, anyway). Each time I make this luxurious (but surprisingly quick and easy) soup, we’re transported back to New Orleans, to walks down cobblestone streets, Zydeco echoing in the background. And aren’t the memories what travel is all about?

Café Adelaide’s Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 6

1 large butternut squash, roasted and removed from skin

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup vegetable stock

3 cups water

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2” piece of raw honeycomb

1 tablespoon raw honey (2 tablespoons if you are unable to find honeycomb)

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup organic half-and-half

Cut a large butternut squash in half, place it in a 9x13” baking dish, drizzle with sunflower oil (or pumpkin seed oil if you can find it), sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with foil, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until squash is very fork tender. (Note: you could also use frozen squash puree if you want to skip this step. I just like the richness this roasted squash adds to the soup.) Let the squash cool, then place the removed flesh in a bowl and mash it with a potato masher.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, a dash of salt and pepper, and cover the pot for approximately 5 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, uncover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until lightly caramelized.

Add the water, stock, squash, herbs and spices, honeycomb, and honey. Stir to combine, then cover and bring the soup to a slow simmer for 45 minutes.

Let the soup cool for approximately 10 minutes, then blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor.

Add the soup back to the pot, and place it over low heat. Stir in the ½ cup of half-and-half and the second tablespoon of butter. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as needed.

When Sam asked me to host a November DIY on her super cute blog, I did a little dance. Her blog inspires creativity all the time, and her vintage finds compliment any fashion statement. I am so glad to have such an artistic new friend.

For this Thanksgiving inspired DIY, you will need the supplies listed below. You can find almost everything at your local craft store or via etsy.

Step One: Gather and arrange your feathers. Secure them with a clothespin.

Step Two: Add your leather ribbon to the feather arrangement, on the back side. Re-secure clothespin.

Step Three: Begin to tie the gold thread around the feathers and leather ribbon.

Step Four: Flip the feathers and leather to tie another knot. Continue to flip and tie knots until your feathers and leather are securely together. A band of gold will begin to form. When you hit the top, tie three or four extra knots on the back side.

Step Five: Secure a bobby pin in the middle of the leather ribbon.

Step Six: Let the golden threads fly with the wind; they look magical blended in with the feathers, and chances of the gold unraveling will disappear.

All you have to do next is wear them! My favorite fashion accessories to pair them with are leggings, fringe boots, and simple earrings.

Thank you, Sam, for hosting this DIY. I am truly grateful for the chance to share my ideas with you and your readers.

I was so excited (and honored) when Sam asked me to guest post a tutorial for her blog. Although I've never met her in person, I think she is ADORABLE and have been so blessed by her! She is one of the first bloggers that I have connected with in the blogging world and has been such a sweetheart to me. I would like to thank her for that.

Thanks Sam!

I gave Sam a choice on what tutorial she would like for me to share with you all, and she chose a necklace that I have for sale in my etsy shop. It too is a favorite of mine. Here we go!

Crystal and Pearl Chain Link Tutorial

This is a super easy necklace to make. (I hope I make it super simple to understand)

First gather the tools and supplies. All of the following are available at any craft supply store. My personal preference is Hobby Lobby.

You need:

Wire cutters

Flat nose pliers

Round nose pliers

Chain

Center drilled beads

(in this tutorial, 4mm cream colored pearls

and 6mm champagne colored crystals)

Headpins

First, decide the length of chain that you would like to be between each handwired crystal or bead. Use the wire cutters to cut your chain into several pieces of the length that you have decided on. The chain I like to use is a very dainty curb chain. This is easy to cut through, however, if you choose a chain with bigger links, use your flat nose pliers to open up one of the links and create smaller chain links.

Now we will make a bead connector.

Step 1: Take a headpin and snip the flat end off of it. Grab one end of the wire with your round nose pliers as close to the tip as you can.

Position your working wrist with your thumb facing you and hold the wire tight with your free hand.

Step 2: Use only your wrist to bend the round nose pliers torwards you, when you cannot bend your wrist toward you anymore,(you should have half a loop) reposition your working hand by loosening the grip on the wire and rotating your wrist away from you until your thumb is facing you again. Tighten the grip of the round nose pliers onto the wire, and again, bend only your wrist to form a circle loop with the wire. Place a bead onto the open end of the wire, and adjust the finished loop to straighten it using your flat nose pliers.

Step 3: Bend the wire as close to the top of your bead as you can, to form a 90 degree angle.

(This is the hardest part) Decide how long of a wire you need to create a loop. In the photo above I actually snipped a little off to have the correct length. This part takes practice but once you get it.... its easy.

Repeat Step 2 but know that your bead is already on the wire. When you are done you should have a beaded connector.

Step 4: open one end of the connector and thread it into to the end of one of your chain pieces.

Connect the pieces together until your necklace is as long as you want it.

Add whatever finish you like, I prefer a lobster clasp. or make the necklace big enough that you just connect the ends together to complete the beaded pattern and just throw it over your head.